Milk and constipation – Things you should know

Most people fail to associate milk and consumption probably due to the fact that they do not consume milk that often. Still, kids are seen to complain of growing stomach cramps that can go on for a few days. This seems pretty strange to parents as there isn’t any vomiting or diarrhea and the kids feel this discomfort despite the fact that they do not eat anything unusual. Adults drink milk themselves and this could have a laxative effect for them.

The fact that irritates you here is that the connection hardly makes sense to you as you are under the assumption that there is no relation between milk and consumption. So, you just go for laxative medications. After all, that is what appears to be common sense. Some people think that their child is just a bit intolerant to milk. Is there any clear evidence that proves the link between milk and consumption?

Let us look at a study carried out at an Italian university in 1998. 65 children took part in the study. They were all suffering from chronic constipation and had been already prescribed laxatives following failure of dietary changes to cure their constipation. Every child in the survey was receiving either cow milk or soy milk, which went on for at least two weeks. As the study reached the analysis phase, the scientists discovered that those children who were on soy milk (they were around 68%) did not suffer from constipation anymore. As opposed to that, the condition of the rest who stuck to cow milk remained pretty much the same.

Dr A. Greene suggests it might actually be the protein found in cow milk that causes these problems. He also thinks that this is what makes children switching to soy milk feel dramatically better. Milk happens to be a low residue food item. Constipation depends on the ratio of food items taken during meals. However, if a dairy product, say, a little skim milk, is incorporated into your diet, your bowel movements might be easy and regular. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, milk is among the food items that actually cause constipation. Cow milk and sugar or even lactose can cause mucus into your intestines and also into the excretory system. This could result into a functional failure.

In addition to the fact that there is a clear relation between milk and constipation, milk is also responsible for Osteoporosis, Cataracts or Lactose Intolerance. The same can be said about Food Allergies, Toxins in the body and Iron Deficiency. And let us not forget Diabetes and Ovarian Cancer. Did you know that 1 out of each 5 babies these days suffers from colic? Pediatricians have recently learned that cow milk is often the reason for this. These days, we know clearly that those breast feeding moms can end up with colicky babies if they consume cow milk.

Now you know about the link between milk and constipation. Avoid this dairy product at least until you get relief from this condition.